Black Widow 2021

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Black Widow

Natasha Romanoff, also known as Black Widow, confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.

Natasha Romanoff, also known as Black Widow, confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.

... Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow

... Yelena Belova

... Melina Vostokoff

... Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian

... Dreykov

... Antonia Dreykov

User reviews

See All 14 Reviews

29 Jun 2021 by garethmb

After a delay lasting 19 months; the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has returned to the big screen with “Black Widow”. The film takes place between “Captain America: Civil War” and “Avengers: Infinity War”; audiences get more of the backstory of Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), as we are introduced to her early life before the Red Room. This is not to say that the film is an origin story as it uses her backstory through a clever introduction that establishes her “family” as sleeper agents in Ohio before they escape and she and her cover sister are tuned over for conditioning and training. Since Natasha is on the run from the authorities; she finds a remote location in Norway to bide her time. This does not last as a dangerous adversary known as the Taskmaster arrives and sets a chain of events into motion. Natasha has been sent a package from her cover sister Yelena (Florence Pugh) who also went through the Red Room and became a top assassin in the years since she and Natasha last saw one another. Despite her mixed feelings; Natasha ventures to Budapest and confronts Yelena who in turn reveals the package she sent her contains a compound that can free the other Black Widows from the control of the Red Room which despite Natasha’s insistence is still very much alive as is the head of the institute which she is convinced she killed long ago. With Taskmaster and other Widows hot on their trail, Natasha and Yelena are forced to seek the help of their former “Father” the imprisoned hero Red Guardian (David Harbour), and their cover Mother Melina (Rachel Weisz), to find the location of the new Red Room; free the Widows, and end the program once and for all. What follows is an engaging story with solid action and effects that remains at its core a character story as Natasha attempts to reconcile her cover family with her new Avengers family and the pain of her upbringing and conditioning. Marvel resisted calls from some to release the film on Disney+ last year when the Pandemic caused multiple delays to the planned release dates. This decision to me was very wise as this is a film that needs to be seen and heard on the big screen as it is an experience that is best experienced in a cinema with others. While many attempts were made over the decades to adapt comic heroes to film and television; most of them came up lacking and disappointed fans of the source material. Marvel for over a decade has continued to succeed as they have a clear plan, cast well, and have engaging characters that develop over time. “Black Widow” fills in a missing gap of time in the MCU well and also sets up future adventures as a scene in the credits clearly links two of the live-action Disney+ series and shows that the long-term plan for the MCU continues and incorporates the film and television series well. From the moment the Marvel intro and music appeared on the screen until the very end; “Black Widow” was a very enjoyable and engaging blockbuster adventure that shows Marvel at the top of their game; and why they continue to set event-level movies not to miss. 4 stars out of 5

Release Date:

Jul 07, 2021 (United States)

Run Time:

2hr 14`

MMPA Rating:

PG-13

Original Language:

English

Production Countries:

United States

Status:

Released

Related Movies To

Black Widow

Write Review

Found 14 reviews in total

29 Jun 2021 by garethmb

After a delay lasting 19 months; the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has returned to the big screen with “Black Widow”. The film takes place between “Captain America: Civil War” and “Avengers: Infinity War”; audiences get more of the backstory of Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), as we are introduced to her early life before the Red Room. This is not to say that the film is an origin story as it uses her backstory through a clever introduction that establishes her “family” as sleeper agents in Ohio before they escape and she and her cover sister are tuned over for conditioning and training. Since Natasha is on the run from the authorities; she finds a remote location in Norway to bide her time. This does not last as a dangerous adversary known as the Taskmaster arrives and sets a chain of events into motion. Natasha has been sent a package from her cover sister Yelena (Florence Pugh) who also went through the Red Room and became a top assassin in the years since she and Natasha last saw one another. Despite her mixed feelings; Natasha ventures to Budapest and confronts Yelena who in turn reveals the package she sent her contains a compound that can free the other Black Widows from the control of the Red Room which despite Natasha’s insistence is still very much alive as is the head of the institute which she is convinced she killed long ago. With Taskmaster and other Widows hot on their trail, Natasha and Yelena are forced to seek the help of their former “Father” the imprisoned hero Red Guardian (David Harbour), and their cover Mother Melina (Rachel Weisz), to find the location of the new Red Room; free the Widows, and end the program once and for all. What follows is an engaging story with solid action and effects that remains at its core a character story as Natasha attempts to reconcile her cover family with her new Avengers family and the pain of her upbringing and conditioning. Marvel resisted calls from some to release the film on Disney+ last year when the Pandemic caused multiple delays to the planned release dates. This decision to me was very wise as this is a film that needs to be seen and heard on the big screen as it is an experience that is best experienced in a cinema with others. While many attempts were made over the decades to adapt comic heroes to film and television; most of them came up lacking and disappointed fans of the source material. Marvel for over a decade has continued to succeed as they have a clear plan, cast well, and have engaging characters that develop over time. “Black Widow” fills in a missing gap of time in the MCU well and also sets up future adventures as a scene in the credits clearly links two of the live-action Disney+ series and shows that the long-term plan for the MCU continues and incorporates the film and television series well. From the moment the Marvel intro and music appeared on the screen until the very end; “Black Widow” was a very enjoyable and engaging blockbuster adventure that shows Marvel at the top of their game; and why they continue to set event-level movies not to miss. 4 stars out of 5

08 Jul 2021 by Manuel São Bento

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/black-widow-spoiler-free-review "Black Widow beautifully honors the iconic Natasha Romanoff, who finally receives the respectful, worthy solo film that her unforgettable legacy always deserved. Cate Shortland and Eric Pearson put together an MCU installment that doesn't really compare to any of the other origin flicks, profoundly examining the protagonist's dark past and her complex "family" through distinctly compelling storytelling. Scarlett Johansson shines one last time, interpreting the most impactful role of her career, but Florence Pugh comes close to stealing the spotlight by giving an absolutely phenomenal display. Boasting highly entertaining, mostly well-filmed action sequences, the main narrative follows a path with no surprises, as well as a generic villain, but the emotionally investing storylines regarding Natasha's personal motivations and Yelena's complex feelings keep the film remarkably captivating. The ending is as satisfying as I could have ever wished for. A loving farewell to a hero that inspired millions of viewers." Rating: A-

16 Jul 2021 by Mahnoor Khan

The first half of black widow was very strong and emotional. Florence Pugh was stellar in this movie. She was brilliant in action sequences and I like the fun elements in her character. Yelena and Natasha's chemistry was too good. David Harbour also performed very well. The action sequences were good but CGI was too weak in the 3d act. Also, I didn't like the changes in Natasha's character. She has no superpowers like other avengers. Her strong brain and mind combine to make her a lethal weapon but they showed her over powerful in this movie. The inner wounds of Natasha were beautifully delivered in this movie. I liked the movie but because of Florence only.

**This Is A Thrilling , Beautiful &  VERY , VERY , VERY FUNNY Journey . . . BUT ALAS

02 Aug 2021 by Isi Pahum

Subpar Bond that believes it has emotional stakes isn't exactly a very winning formula. Far too much bad MCU banter to go with something that wants to be grounded and quite frankly none of the actors are quite adapt at those sitcomy whedonisms that these movies made mainstream (Pugh in particular is terrible at those bits). Some of the mid section action is better than average as far as those movies goes but anything with Taskmasker is very bad and the big end is terrible. Winstone villain made me miss when people like Lonsdale and Lee made lousy Moore Bond plots half watchable. The major limitation is that far too much of the emotional beats depend on what characters talk about their time together when they were a pretend family and altough Johansson and Pugh have good chemistry and Weisz and Harbour do as good job as possible under the circunstances of selling their regrets, there just isn't enough downtime between plot needs to anything of it truly land. I can get what Shortland was hoping to import into one of those but little actually works even with the benefit of a far more standalone movie than most of them. Also, strange how after a decade of postponing giving Johansson her movie, they did one in which she so often feels like a witness/connective MCU tissue for the main supporting characters family drama that they had to give her an extra subplot with her guilty over "killing" Winstone's daughter so it can feel like she has more material to work with. She is both the lead and the most extraneous part of her own movie

24 Aug 2021 by mel_n

Honestly, if Black Widow opened Marvel’s Phase 4, I would have been even more impressed. However, after seeing the deep dives into characters that had been on the sidelines for years, this movie felt very surface level of the complexity of Natasha Romanoff. She was taken as a child to learn how to be an assassin, she had to sacrifice her morals to leave her past behind, she basically remained an assassin for a different organization that turned out to be run by similarly bad people as those she left, and she is now on the run from the government that once hailed her a hero because she didn’t fall in line. Oh, and she is reconnecting with her past fake family that gave her and Yelena back to the Red Room as soon as the mission was over. The trauma this character endured would’ve been better explored as a mini series, rather than a movie that’s trying to simultaneously remind us of where Natasha was five years ago and also trying not to acknowledge that Natasha has no risk posed to her in this movie because we know she lives on past these events. However, very excited to see where Yelena goes in the future.

09 Sep 2021 by Trevfh

It was okay

30 Sep 2021 by xut

It's crap, really. Nothing works in this movie.

06 Oct 2021 by Chris Sawin

Black Widow is worth seeing for Florence Pugh, the free-fall action sequence, and anything involving Taskmaster before it’s revealed who is under the mask. Everything else about Black Widow feels like it was done better by the films it was supposedly influenced by and mostly feels like a diluted imitation of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It’s fantastic that women are getting more opportunities in big summer blockbusters like this one, but it’s also disheartening since their filmmaking skills are shackled to formulaic superfluity that obviously stands in the way of creating extraordinary cinema. Full review: https://geekshavegame.com/black-widow-review-espionage-exhaustion/

02 Feb 2022 by misubisu

Waited so long for this movie to come out and I was loaded with anticipation. When it finally landed I was so excited to watch it! I must say, it didn't go in the direction that I was expecting (based on the on the other solo movies)... but I was very pleasantly surprised, and it was way better than I was expecting it to be. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and it was a fitting tribute yo one of my favourite Marvel Universe characters.

21 Oct 2022 by The Movie Mob

**Black Widow is a decent MCU film with excellent entertaining characters but an average to disappointing story.** Black Widow faced steep expectations as Marvel's first female-led film focused on a cherished MCU favorite. Black Widow's past was always shrouded in mystery and pain, but she was finally receiving the attention the hero deserved to dive into her past and celebrate Scarlett Johansson's super spy. With hopes high and fans wanting a Captain America: The Winter Soldier-type superhero espionage film, Black Widow, unfortunately, fell short. Nothing was particularly disappointing about the film. I had just hoped for so much more for the character and Scarlett Johansson at this point in the MCU's journey. The effects and action were decent. The villain was forgettable. The big defining Budapest incident was passed by with hardly any impact or emotional weight. Black Widow gets lost in all of the chaos of the film. The best part of the movie by far was the new characters played by Florence Pugh and David Harbor. They were highly entertaining, funny, and endearing. I hope to see Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova in many more Marvel films. Black Widow really was a decent entry in the Marvel universe and one of the better Phase 4 movies. Still, it didn't do Natasha Romanoff the justice she deserved leaving the character's best moments in other Marvel films that focused on other heroes.

08 Jan 2023 by Crazypiglady

This is a self-contained origin story of Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson). No knowledge of the Avengers is required to watch this film, although, in a Marvel context, it happens after the civil war breaks up the Avengers of which Natasha was a part of. Effects and tension are amazing to watch and edge of seat but there's a payoff with plot. A familiar action film formula – _get and protect the MacGuffin while getting to the evil megalomaniac before he takes over the world_. The formula acts as a vehicle for pretty much non-stop action. If that’s enough for you then this is might be your perfect film. The familial relationships and confronting her dark past promised in the advert don’t really deliver (although Natasha’s sister, Yelena is essential to this film) but if two hours of Scarlett Johansson kicking high-octane butt is your thing then you’re in for a treat. Too heavy on the action but fun to watch. 6/10

30 Apr 2023 by Andre Gonzales

There wasn't much about black widows history and background. So I really liked this movie. See how the character became her.

25 Jul 2023 by Michael

Black Widow ist der Beweis, dass auch weiblicher Regisseur nicht unbedingt mit starken Frauenfiguren umzugehen weiß. Der Beweis, dass auch mit einer interessanten MCU-Figur ein uninteressanter Film entstehen kann. Der Film zeigt auch, dass das MCU immer und immer wieder mit schwachen Antagonisten zu kämpfen hat, was bei einem Film, der weniger von seiner coolen Action, als vielmehr von seiner Story lebt einfach noch mehr ins Gewicht fällt. Ja, die Actionszenen des Films sind gut. Florence Pugh fügt sich als Schwester von Black Widow gut in das Universum ein und es ist auch schön mehr über die Vorgeschichte von Black Widow zu erfahren. Am Ende muss man allerdings auch sagen, dass Black Widow kein guter Film ist. Dafür überwiegen leider die genannten Schwächen zu sehr und Marvel hat zuletzt mit seinen starken Serien bewiesen, dass sie auch storylastigere Geschichten packend erzählen können. [Sneakfilm.de]

Cast & Crew of

Black Widow

Directors & Credit Writers

... Third Assistant Director

... First Assistant Director

... Second Assistant Director

Cast

... Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow

... Yelena Belova

... Melina Vostokoff

... Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian

... Dreykov

... Antonia Dreykov

... Young Natasha

... Young Yelena

... Secretary Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross

... Young Antonia

... Lerato

... Oksana

... Scientist Morocco 1

... Scientist Morocco 2

Produced By

... Executive Producer

... Extras Casting

... Extras Casting

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Black Widow

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